This invention relates to apparatus useful in cleaning wet paint from paint rollers and brushes. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus used in water cleansing of paint rollers and brushes utilizing water based paints.
Paint rollers are exceedingly useful and efficient tools for applying paint to large surface areas. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to clean the paint from the roller after the roller has been used. At present there are a number of ways to clean a paint soaked roller, although neither is particularly efficient. One method is to place the paint roller assembly, consisting of the paint soaked roller and its holder, in water and repeatedly squeeze the roller by hand to mechanically remove most of the paint from the roller. A final rinse under running water is performed in an effort to remove the remaining paint residue. Another method is to remove the paint soaked roller from its roller and install this roller on a hand held mechanical device. The roller is then submerged under water, and the mechanical device is pumped continually by hand to impart a slow rotary motion to the roller. The rotary motion and turbulence of the water removes most of the paint. Again, a final rinse under running water is performed in an effort to remove the remaining paint residue. Both methods are time consuming and require the continual presence and physical effort of the person performing the cleaning operation. Also, both methods require direct handling of the roller which is saturated with wet paint, resulting in a very messy task. Finally, with either method, unless the cleaning process is continued for an inordinate length of time, there will almost always be a residue of paint left within the roller. Although this will not represent a problem if the same shade of paint is used again with the same roller, this residual paint of one hue will often prevent the use of the semi-cleaned roller with paints of different hues. For these reasons, it is often the case that a paint roller will be thrown away after use rather than cleaned, a wasteful practice which continues for the want of an effective paint roller cleaning apparatus.
A paint roller cleaning device marketed under the name "Spin Out" has been manufactured in Seattle and sold in at least the Pacific Northwest within the last year. It is marked "patent pending." This is a simple device about the size and shape of a shoe box and formed of plastic. This prior art roller cleaner has provision for attachment to a hose bib and an internal water manifold along the inside of the top of the device and parallel to the roller from which issue a series of water jets which soak and presumably spin clean the paint roller. The bottom of the device is completely open and is opposite the water jets. One end of the device has a cut out area into which the paint roller handle is received such that the roller may be held by hand within the enclosed area encompassed by the device. Nevertheless, there is no provision for clamping the paint roller handle to the device, nor is there any provision for any convenient means of employment of the device other than in conjunction with a threaded hose bib over a sink. The large bottom opening of the device will create a relatively messy procedure as well.
German Pat. No. 2,716,931 to F. Aierstoch discloses a centrifugal cleaning device for paint rollers having internal water jets which cause spin on the paint roller.
Cleansing of water based paints from paintbrushes presents similar problems. Cleaning such brushes by hand is a time consuming and messy operation. No mechanized apparatus to achieve the cleansing of the brushes is known.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide for an apparatus which effectively cleans paintbrushes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for a paint roller cleaning apparatus which can be utilized semi-automatically.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide for a paint roller cleaning apparatus which is of simple construction and relatively inexpensive such that the widespread discarding of used paint rollers for lack of an effective and inexpensive roller cleaner may be largely eliminated.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for an apparatus which effectively cleans paintbrushes.
It is another object of this invention to provide for a paintbrush cleaning apparatus which can be used semi-automatically.